All Publications

Acknowledging students’ social, emotional, and behavioral skills is a key PBIS practice. Though the Center on PBIS (2021) emphasizes the role of educators in establishing positive connections with students and delivering specific praise to acknowledge students’ skills, many schools adopt a more formal student reinforcement system. The purpose of this brief is to provide several conceptual reasons for using reinforcement strategies with students. 

The PBIS District Practice Guide: Leadership Team Planning Using the DSFI contains resources for District Leadership Teams (DLTs) and the personnel who provide technical assistance to district teams. The PBIS District Practice Guide will (a) describe how to use the DSFI assessment results to build concrete action planning steps for districts implementing PBIS and (b) help teams achieve and maintain a score a “2 = Fully Implemented” on each of the DSFI items. Each chapter focuses on the key functions and tasks of the team along with relevant sections of the DSFI.

The purpose of this practice brief is to provide guidance on how collecting and using data in a Tier 3 data system can benefit individual student-focused teams, Tier 3 school-level teams, and district PBIS teams. 

Districts may be forced to take action on disparate discipline outcomes through various mechanisms (e.g., IDEA’s significant disproportionality regulations, Title VI complaint, lawsuit). Regardless of the reason, there may be interest in seeking outside support to reduce discipline disparities. The Center on PBIS provides a range of free resources for identifying, addressing, and preventing discipline disparities on its website (www.pbis.org), but it does not contract to provide corrective services. If a district requires more support than Center products and their own expertise, the Center provides recommendations in this brief.

This brief focuses on how to promote a positive teaching and learning environment by establishing positive schoolwide expectations, or norms, that reflect the shared values of a school community (i.e., educators, students, families). Specifically, this brief provides guidance for creating and using a schoolwide teaching matrix to (a) establish positive schoolwide expectations or norms, (b) identify schoolwide settings, and (c) explicitly identify, define, and teach critical social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills.

This resource is a compilation of practice profiles highlighting considerations for improving physical safety for schools and classrooms in the context of school-based gun violence. As the evidence continues to emerge and additional practices are identified, those practices will be reviewed for inclusion in future versions of this resource. In this introduction we describe considerations for implementation within a larger MTSS framework. The development of this resource included a review of existing research, after-action reports, legal documents, averted shooting reports and synthesizes lessons learned from school, district, and state recovery efforts over the last decade.

Communication systems allow staff and students to communicate about advanced knowledge of a threat or the presence of an intruder and guide response actions during an emergency. In this document, we provide considerations for (a) what information is communicated, (b) when the communication should take place, (c) a process for ensuring that staff and students understand what is being communicated. There are a wide variety of communication technologies available to schools. In this document we do not suggest or endorse any specific technology instead we focus on establishing clear procedures for communication regardless of the type/s of technology used. When implementing communication systems, schools have a responsibility not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or other protected classes when implementing school safety measures and policies.

Policies that ensure that only school staff, students, family members and other authorized visitors enter the grounds, and the school building can help prevent unauthorized persons from accessing areas where students and staff are located. Outside doors or gates should be kept locked or continuously staffed. School visitor policies should be well-defined, communicated across the school community (including to parents and school visitors), and enforced. Clear language and disability accessible signage designating these policies and the use of identification badges help support the implementation of effective visitor policies. All of these strategies can be implemented while also creating a school environment that is welcoming for parents and families. When implementing outdoor and entry safety practices, schools have a responsibility not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or other protected classes when implementing school safety measures and policies.

During an emergency lockdown, preventing a potential shooter from seeing and accessing individuals within a classroom is critical. Intruders are more likely to shoot when they see people, so remaining out of view and ensuring that access to the classroom is blocked can help keep individuals safe. When implementing classroom safety practices, schools have a responsibility not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or other protected classes when implementing school safety measures and policies.

This brief shares considerations for organizing a state-level response to support schools and districts in recovery from school-based gun violence. This brief will provide considerations for (1) organizing and preparing coordination and response teams, (2) defining the response scope, (3) identifying and vetting additional personnel, (4) planning and implementing the response, (5) supporting communications, and (6) reviewing the state-level response for areas of improvement and providing ongoing support.

This guide aligns the implementation of high-leverage practices (HLPs) for students with disabilities, developed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in partnership with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR), with the PBIS framework. Integration of HLPs across the full continuum of supports offers a systematic way to meaningfully include support students with disabilities.

This Practice Guide can be used by multidisciplinary teams within a multi-tiered system of support as a resource for overcoming challenges and setting up teams for success. The five effective teaming elements are described, as well as how to structure teams to enhance functioning and outcomes within schools.

This series of evaluation briefs explores the relationship between (a) school climate (as measured by the Brief School Climate Survey for elementary and secondary students), (b) student-level demographics, and (c) PBIS Fidelity (as measured by the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI). All briefs in this series include the same introductory information about the importance of school climate and details of the school climate survey. This brief examines the relationship between PBIS fidelity and perceptions of school climate while also taking a closer look at how this relationship may be of greater relevance to certain student groups. 

This evaluation brief highlights key considerations in using screening information to identify at-risk students at the middle and high school.

This practice guide is an updated version of Supporting and Responding to Student Behavior (Office of Special Education Programs, 2015). "Supporting and Responding" summarizes evidence-based, positive, and proactive practices that support and respond to students’ social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs in classrooms and similar teaching and learning environments (e.g., small-group activity).

After attempting to reach full implementation of healthy and functioning Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 behavioral systems at its elementary schools through years of training and coaching, Springfield Public Schools (SPS) found it necessary to strategically invest district resources in its PBIS efforts by targeting Tier 2 and initial Tier 3 systems (i.e., interventions not served via special education). SPS identified a need for a system’s focused and district-directed role and created a new Behavior Interventionist position in each elementary school to lead and coordinate Tier 2 and initial Tier 3 support systems. Starting with a pilot school in 2018 and expanding to a district-wide position in 2021, the district-directed Behavior Interventionist role transformed the district's ability to meet the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of its students. This brief first illustrates the importance of initial district planning and on-going, iterative implementation of culturally responsive Tier 1 supports as a critical foundation for Tier 2 and 3 supports. Next, the refinement and operationalization of Tier 2 systems as well as a district continuum of supports are shared as a way to contextualize and use data to identify systems needs. Lastly, we illustrate the importance of targeted district support and resource allocation can improve outcomes. 

This brief builds from the progressive development and increasing momentum of integrating SMH within a PBIS framework, with this work on ISF beginning in the late 2000s (see Barrett et al., 2013). Around the nation, many communities are implementing PBIS with an ISF focus—recognizing the complementary and mutual benefits of education and mental health systems working together with other youth-serving systems (e.g., child welfare, juvenile justice; Lever et al., 2003) and co-designing a continuum of supports with families and youth (Weist et al., 2017).

The results of this study support the benefits of the InterconnectedSystems Framework (ISF) on school climate, with positive impacts reported by education staff and students. 

One-page brief describing the effectiveness and reach of the PBIS framework..

One-page brief describing the effectiveness and reach when schools integrate school mental health within a PBIS framework.

One-page brief describing the effectiveness and reach of the PBIS framework at increasing student engagement and academic achievement.

One-page brief describing the effectiveness and reach of the PBIS framework, particularly with students with disabilities.

This series of evaluation briefs explores the relationship between (a) school climate (as measured by the Brief School Climate Survey for elementary and secondary students), (b) student-level demographics, and (c) PBIS Fidelity (as measured by the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI). All briefs in this series include the same introductory information about the importance of school climate and details of the school climate survey. This brief examines the relationship between PBIS fidelity and perceptions of school climate. 

This document provides information to contextualize PBIS in the classroom for deaf students to better address unique needs and create more effective learning environments. Guided by PBIS core features, “top ten” practices are identified to support and respond to students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs in the classroom with considerations for deaf students.

This practice guide is one of a set of resources for increasing equity in school discipline. The guides are based on the Center on PBIS’s 5-Point Equity Approach, which has been shown to be effective in increasing equity in schools. These 5 points include (a) using disaggregated discipline data, (b) ensuring that multi-tiered behavior frameworks are culturally responsive, (c) using engaging instruction, (d) developing effective policies, and (e) reducing implicit bias in discipline decisions. This guide addresses using discipline data.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a widely implemented framework for promoting positive school systems and fostering students' social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health. Numerous studies indicate that PBIS implementation improves student outcomes, educator practices, and school systems. This brief presents the findings of a systematic literature review exploring how Tier 1 PBIS implementation affects valued educational outcomes. Findings demonstrate that PBIS can be designated an evidence-based practice for reducing exclusionary discipline and improving social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes.

Although extracurricular activities are valuable for school communities, they present specific contextual challenges including a) scheduling outside of school hours/locations, b) attendees who may not be directly connected to the school community, c) large groups together in unstructured spaces, d) potential opportunities for increased access to prohibited items such as weapons, alcohol ordrugs, and e) likelihood for behaviors that may be difficult to regulate, supervise, or monitor. When communities gather in large group settings, it is important to define community agreements through a process that involves members of the community. The end product is a clear document that describes the community expectations for being together by a) providing consistent messaging and teaching, b) connecting extracurricular events as an extension of the school environment, c) emphasizing positive prosocial behaviors that are reflective of the values of the school community and d) providing explicit ways to ask for help or report concerns. It is equally important to intentionally foster positive relationships across community members, including those from groups least likely to benefit from existing educational systems.

The focus of this guide is on supporting school, district, and state education leadership teams in centering equity in their data-using culture and data-based decision-making processes to redesign and transform systems for equitable health and learning. It includes specific companion dialogue guides to support teams in implementing practices and practical strategies to center equity in all of their work—including the ways in which they gather, analyze, and use data in their school-wide whole-person work. ©2023 WestEd. All rights reserved.This document was published by WestEd and is supported by funds provided by the U.S. Department of Education cooperative agreements with the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd (S424B180004) and the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (H326S180001). Its content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the funder, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Suggested Citation is included in the document.

This brief summarizes a model demonstration examining the impact of both (a) improved Tier 3 implementation fidelity, as measured by Tiered Implementation Fidelity (TFI) and the Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) 4.0, and (b) an improved implementation of individual behavior support practices in a high-needs elementary school in a rural area in the northeast. The information learned from this model demonstration may assist others working in and supporting schools in similar settings.

In this brief, we outline the five components of the ISLA model, as well as steps that school and district teams can take to begin implementing these practices within their positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework.

This brief addresses two evaluation questions: 1. What are the effects of supporting educators to intentionally intensify their practice on their overall implementation of targeted classroom practices (i.e., prompting, engaging, and praising)? 2. What are the effects of educators intentionally intensifying their classroom practices on the behaviors of students with disabilities?

The success of PBIS in typical schools has led to interest in PBIS for alternative programs, including residential programs. In this brief, we describe PBIS as implemented in a therapeutic treatment home for adolescents with mental health needs. The PBIS framework enabled the program to add Tier 1 supports to increase consistency throughout the home, and to use behavioral data to integrate supports across tiers. We report fidelity scores across years of implementation as well as informal data reflecting staff and youth perceptions of PBIS.

Documented benefits of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in typical settings has led to interest in the feasibility of PBIS in alternative program settings, including juvenile justice programs. In this model demonstration report, we describe how one juvenile justice program implemented PBIS at Tiers 1, 2, and 3, and present fidelity scores for each tier across years of implementation. PBIS was used throughout the program, in residential areas (dorm units, cafeteria, recreation, etc.) as well as in the school program within the facility.

Coaches and district leaders can use this brief to support their efforts of aligning and integrating School Mental Health (SMH) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The experiences of two districts are described to provide context in the application of the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF). 

In this brief, we present results from a facilitated discussion held at the 2022 PBIS Leadership Forum focused on modifications needed to PBIS in alternative programs, and examples of those modifications. In addition, we discuss how those modifications maintain fidelity to essential elements, and provide recommendations based on our discussion.

Even when schools are implementing Tier 1 systems and practices with high fidelity, some students need more targeted and systematic support. Tier 2 practices provide students with an additional layer of rapid and efficient behavior support. However, school teams will need to regularly measure the fidelity of both core features of these Tier 2 practices and the Tier 2 systems supporting those practices. This brief describes the core features of Tier 2 systems and practices and provides examples of researcher-developed measures used to assess them.

This brief presents outcomes across elementary schools on their use of a social/emotional screener as part of their data-decision process.

In this brief, results of an online survey of 165 leadership team members from 27 elementary schools representing five school districts from three geographic regions across the United States are presented. All schools were at different stages of implementing an integrated tiered system of support. Implications for practice are discussed.

The effects of the opioid crisis have been felt across the country, and many educators are seeking ways to be proactive around their students’ needs. An important step toward this goal is identifying students who need support. The Center on PBIS website (PBIS.org) provides multiple resources with provide general guidance on screener selection and implementation. This practice brief is intended to provide educators with more specific, supplemental direction for substance misuse screening and a brief overview of how such screening can be combined with brief intervention and referral to treatment.

In this practice brief, we share highlights from the 2022 PBIS Leadership Forum facilitated discussion: Systematic Screening: Practicalities & Considerations. Specifically, we describe what is meant by “systematic screening,” explain the importance of systematic screening, provide information on resources to get started with systematic screening efforts, and summarize some questions addressed during the discussion.

There is a strong research base for practices associated with Positive Classroom Behavior Supports (PCBS). Much of this information can be found in the Center on PBIS publications from the classroom section of the website (https://www.pbis.org/publications/all-publications#classroom-pbis). An ongoing concern in the field is how to support educators in selecting and implementing with fidelity, the evidence-based practices matched to student needs. The classroom strand at the recent 2022 PBIS Leadership Forum provided information on high leverage social-emotional-behavioral practices. Strategies were provided for integrating academic and behavior supports. Additionally, specific ideas were shared for supporting students with disabilities within the classroom setting.

This guide provides recommendations and strategies for addressing confidentiality as teams work together in an interconnected system within schools. It is not intended to provide comprehensive legal guidance, rather to facilitate discussion and decision making to ensure students get the supports they need.

The purpose of this brief is to review the latest randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining effects of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), an example of a multi-tiered system of support for behavior (MTSS-B), on a range of student outcomes. The study explored one approach to implementing PBIS and focused on students’ behavioral and academic outcomes. Although it did not identify positive behavioral and academic effects for all students, students with the most behavior needs saw improved reading scores and decreased rates of disruptive behavior. Other important outcomes, including those related to classroom management and school climate, also saw some improvements. We share findings and key takeaways from this new study, in the context of the broader research literature, to guide local educational agency (LEAs) and state educational agencies (SEAs) in their use of MTSS to improve student outcomes.

This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the practices guide: Supporting and Responding to Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs: Evidence-Based Practices for Educators (Center on PBIS, 2022). It provides updated guidance on how to (a) develop systems to support educators’ implementation of evidence-based classroom practices and (b) use data to guide the development of implementation supports.

Level systems are a widely used in alternative settings. When these settings adopt PBIS, it is important to consider design, implementation, and alignment of level systems with PBIS principles and practices. This Practice Brief stems from our Facilitated Discussion at the 2021 PBIS Leadership Forum. We describe themes that emerged from that discussion, and provide specific recommendations for aligning level systems with PBIS.

This brief summarizes empirical research on the effects of Tier 1 PBIS for students with disabilities. In general, when schools implement PBIS with fidelity, students with disabilities experience: (a) improved SEB outcomes and (b) reduced exclusionary discipline (i.e., office discipline referrals, suspensions, restraint, seclusion). Given the promising empirically-supported effects of Tier 1 PBIS, we recommend schools continue to prioritize Tier 1 supports that are inclusive, robust, and supportive of all students, including students with disabilities.

This guide describes the use of a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework, like positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), to restart classrooms and schools in a manner that all students, families, and educators are supported effectively, efficiently, and relevantly. This guide is not a primer on MTSS or PBIS. (For a basic introduction, visit PBIS.org.6) This guide is a set of considerations for experienced leadership teams to enhance, adjust, or adapt state, district, school, and classroom action plans to (a) meet their needs during the phases of crisis response and recovery and (b) return to a safe and positive learning environment.

This evaluation brief identifies the average time between initial PBIS training at each tier and identifies criteria state-level leadership teams use to determine readiness for Tier 2 and 3 training. The sample includes 2,488 U.S. schools across five states trained between the 2005-06 and 2018-19 school years. Findings indicate that the average time between Tier 2 and 3 training was shorter compared to Tier 1 and Tier 2. In addition, state-level leadership teams used a variety of policies and procedures for determining school readiness for training at Tiers 2 and 3.

Brief for states and district on using fidelity data to guide action planning.

This demonstration features the collaborative work of a state-funded project matching university-based PBIS trainers with school level implementers in a rural setting. Strategies and lessons learned when implementing PBIS with fidelity during challenging times is shared. The information learned from this regional example highlights the need for considering adaptations to support the culture and context of rural settings while maintaining robust levels of fidelity and sustaining momentum for continued implementation. 

This practice brief provides practical, research-based strategies educators can use to de-escalate challenging student behavior in the classroom. Despite the development of supportive, safe, and predictable school environments, students may, at times, become agitated, and their behavior may escalate to unsafe levels. With some advance planning, educators can reduce reliance on reactive strategies, such as punitive or exclusionary practices (e.g., restraint, seclusion, suspension, expulsion) in favor of safer, more instructive, and inclusive approaches.

The demonstration of positive impact has accelerated the adoption of the PBIS framework across the country in different school settings. The purpose of this evaluation brief is to provide an initial descriptive snapshot of the current status of PBIS implementation in rural schools.

Students with disabilities benefit from positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS; Meyer et al., 2021). The use of schoolwide and classwide PBIS shows promise in helping educators to integrate evidence-based practices for the benefit of all students, including those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of this brief is to provide educators with a quick and easy resource for identifying effective practices for supporting all students, especially those diagnosed with ASD within general education contexts.

In response to two calls for continued research focused on PBIS and students with extensive support needs, researchers from the TIES Center and Center on PBIS conducted this literature review to summarize the current literature. This report summarizes the characteristics of the literature and implications for practice and future research initiatives.

Establishing positive classroom expectations, or norms, that reflect the shared values of a classroom community (i.e., educators, students, families) is an important step toward creating a positive teaching and learning environment. This brief provides guidance for creating and using a classroom teaching matrix to explicitly identify, define, and teach (a) predictable classroom routines, (b) positive classroom expectations, and (c) critical social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills.

Racial and ethnic inequities in school discipline are widespread and persistent, even in schools implementing PBIS with fidelity. Yet integrating components of a multicomponent equity-centered approach into existing tiered frameworks is showing promise for improving equity in student outcomes. This brief describes the Center on PBIS’s 5-Point Equity Approach and the evidence for its positive effects on discipline disproportionality.

Psychometric properties reflect the overall quality of behavioral screening tools. Understanding such concepts helps you select a behavioral screener that best fits your district or school context and provides accurate and valuable information for data-based decision-making. This brief describes key elements of reliable screening tools.

This brief discusses ways to design PBIS systems that are accessible to all students. It describes the importance of including all students in PBIS structures, gives practical strategies to help schools achieve this goal, and includes the story of a student who benefited from full access to his school’s PBIS system.

The purpose of this guide is to assist Tier 3 or MTSS District Teams in supporting school level and student level implementation of Tier 3 supports. These system features include procedures for teaming, professional development/training, coaching, data systems and evaluation, student support provisions and student and family engagement.

This brief provides district PBIS leadership teams a framework to examine school-level fidelity and self-assessment data to guide resource, professional development, and technical assistance decision making.

This brief summarizes themes from interviews with seven district- and school-level leaders who were asked to share experiences and lessons learned while implementing PBIS in their rural school(s). The results offer a starting place for discussion on what is important to consider when implementing PBIS in rural school settings. 

Disproportionality in exclusionary school discipline is a longstanding challenge in general and special education. To reduce disproportionality in discipline in a way that produces measurable results, federal law provides a mechanism referred to as Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS). Whether a school district has been cited for significant disproportionality, is out of compliance, or is voluntarily directing funds to reducing disproportionality in discipline, this brief provides background on CEIS and outlines best practices for how state, district, and building administrators can invest these funds most effectively to achieve equity in school discipline.

Removing students from the classroom and placing them in remote instruction for their behavior is an emerging form of discipline (Jones, 2020). The purpose of this brief is to describe this form of discipline, examine its implications and potential negative impacts, and provide guiding principles for improving behavior through evidence-based approaches.

Equity work has long been associated with the notion that educational outcomes will improve if practitioners provide individual support to the "right students," typically meaning students of color, students from marginalized groups, or students underserved by our social institutions. While well-intentioned, this approach is shortsighted and ignores the role of systems, including education, in outcomes. This brief explains how school teams can begin to address long-standing systemic inequities via PBIS core components to create and sustain change.

With multiple sources of information available, knowing how to use data efficiently and effectively with limited resources is critical to the successful implementation of schoolwide, classroom, and individual interventions. In this practice guide, we describe a scientifically-based approach for data-based decision-making called Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) that includes guidance for school-based teams on (a) the foundations needed to run more effective meetings, (b) a process for using data to identify school needs and goals for change as well as for planning practical and effective solutions, and (c) a process for using, monitoring, and adapting solutions.

This brief provides an overview of how to identify and determine why a student may be avoiding or refusing to attend school, and ways that schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) teams can help to assess and address school refusal. We will introduce a research-based framework to engage in problem-solving to better support students who exhibit school refusal that can supplement more detailed reviews of assessment and intervention (e.g., Kearney, 2007).

This brief describes a school’s transformation from using ineffective and punitive disciplinary practices to implementing effective and proactive responses to behavior by installing the PBIS framework in a unique setting. Specifically, this demonstration highlights the work of the PBIS school leadership team at the American School for the Deaf (ASD) and describes ASD’s use of PBIS strategies in alignment with the Six Core Strategies© to reduce their use of restraint and seclusion.

This brief provides considerations for conducting and implementing functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) using virtual technology.

To better understand the supports needed to positively impact student outcomes, the Center on PBIS has been examining several model demonstrations of PBIS implementation in schools residing within high need Local Education Agencies (LEAs). In particular, this brief provides an initial examination on the impact of PBIS implementation in two rural, high poverty, and majority Black/African American schools at the secondary level (5-12th grade) from a high need LEA. The information learned from this model demonstration may assist others working in and supporting schools in similar settings.

Tier 3 Student Level Systems support all students who are not responding to Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports and would benefit from intensive strategies matched to individual student needs. Student challenges may include behaviors that range from disruptive behaviors to aggression (externalizing) and/or suicidal ideation, depression, or anxiety (internalizing). These behaviors might be impacted by trauma or crisis situations (temporary or permanent) or driven by mental health needs. Tier 3 behavioral supports may be helpful for any student, no matter the (dis)ability, who needs support to meet intensive social, emotional, and behavioral needs. This guide can assist all educators with understanding the systems that must be established to support students with intensive needs.

The purpose of this practice guide is to assist Tier 3 Systems Teams, or combined Advanced Tiers (Tier 2 and 3) Systems Teams, in developing the foundational Tier 3 school-level systems features.

The purpose of this guide is to describe how school-based personnel can build and implement a continuum of function-based supports at Tier 3 that are designed to more effectively meet the needs of a broader range of students who struggle with persistent challenging behavior. This guide is intended to be a resource for individuals and teams with a working knowledge of Tier 3 who regularly design and implement supports for students with intensive needs.

The purpose of this practice guide is to help teams conduct a comprehensive functional behavior assessment, develop a function-linked behavior intervention/support plan, and make data-based decisions. Functional behavior assessments help teams to identify the relation of targeted serious and intense (i.e., challenging) behavior to the environmental events that occur before and after the behavior is performed.

When school personnel and parents complete school climate surveys, results can inform team action planning to improve perceptions of school climate. This brief is intended to guide how districts and schools collect and disaggregate school climate data at the personnel and parent level to support data-based decision making.

This brief describes how educators use a function-based approach to (a) prevent contextually inappropriate behaviors and (b) teach and encourage social, emotional, and behavioral skills throughout the PBIS continuum of support. In addition, this brief highlights critical features of effective functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavior support plans (BSP).

Using academic and behavior screening tools, educators actively look for students who might need extra help to be successful in school. This practice brief helps families understand the logic and steps taken as part of school-wide universal screening, and answers some frequently asked questions about systematic behavior screening.

Universal behavior screening data can be used with other school data to provide educators with valuable information about the overall level of students’ performance at Tier 1 as well as an indicator of students who may need additional supports. In this brief, we offer guiding questions to interpret screening data in a three-step process: examine student performance for the school as a whole, consider teacher-delivered, low-intensity supports, and make decisions for students who might require Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports.

Systematic screening is one proactive way educators can identify students who might need additional support, even when Tier 1 practices are being implemented with fidelity. In this brief, we offer guiding questions for installing a universal behavior screening tool in your school or district centered around five topics: setting up structures, providing professional learning, before your screening window opens, during your screening window, and after your screening window closes.

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) document is a legal plan for special education created by a team that includes educators and family members. The IEP contains goals that promote student success, and, if needed, might include goals on ways to improve behavior. As families might find it helpful to plan ahead for IEP meetings, this brief is designed to help families prepare for an IEP meeting with tips to help strengthen the IEP team planning for any needed behavioral goals and supports.

The IEP document is a legal plan for special education which is created by a team of educators and the child's family. This team meets yearly to create an IEP that provides information about the specifically designed instruction, related services, and other supports for the child. This tip sheet shares some ideas in how families can prepare for the IEP meeting to promote full participation in their child's education program.

Are you concerned about your child’s behavior in school? This document is intended to assist families of children with disabilities that already have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in asking questions to learn more about their child’s behavior in school. Some examples of questions families can ask their school are included and organized by the level of behavior concern, followed by a list of additional resources to consider.

This evaluation brief explores the relationship between (a) schools’ implementation of Tier 1 (universal) support within a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework and (b) the proportion of students with disabilities suspended.

This guide provides guidance to educators implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in the classroom across the continuum of student need. Educators regularly provide a range of supports for students in the classroom—from universal supports for all students to intensive and individualized supports for a few students. This guide will help educators familiar with PBIS organize classroom supports for preventing, teaching, and responding to students’ social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs across the continuum.

This US Department of Education Resource "highlights seven key challenges to providing school- or program-based mental health support across early childhood, K–12 schools, and higher education settings, and presents seven corresponding recommendations. The appendix provides additional useful information, including (a) numerous examples corresponding to the recommendations highlighting implementation efforts throughout the country; (b) a list of federal resource centers; (c) a list of resources to assist educators (teachers, providers, and administrators) in implementing the recommendations; and (d) guidance on existing programs that can support social, emotional and mental health services for students."

Successful partnerships between schools and parents/families benefit the academic success and social-emotional development of students. The Remote Instruction Strategy Matrix for Collaboration with Families is designed for educators (e.g., teachers, administrators, school counselors) to use as they collaborate with parents or families to be used within a continuum of supports based on available technology. This allows schools to coordinate efforts that match the regularity and depth of communication and supports based on identified student needs.

This evaluation brief (a) describes methods of a systematic review of state policy and legislation on R/S, (b) summarizes how R/S is addressed in state policy and legislation, (c) discusses the extent to which policy and legislation emphasizes alternatives to R/S, and (d) based on this review, provides considerations for preventing or reducing R/S, such as organizing a continuum of evidence-based prevention practices within a positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework to address the use of R/S.

Given some of the barriers faced by schools, especially those in rural areas, the Working Smarter Matrix matches interventions with current PBIS resources to assist a school team in using an efficient and effective problem-solving process. As part of the problem-solving process and after PBIS teams have identified and analyzed the problem, they can use this matrix to select an appropriate intervention approach and locate corresponding, hyperlinked resources to support that approach.

This guide is intended to increase the frequency and quality of conversations about race, racism, and current events regarding race in K-12 classrooms to support students and provide voice and self-reflection. It includes recommendations and tips for creating statements of support, preparing for and facilitating constructive classroom discussions, addressing harmful statements, and designing lesson plans and units for ongoing learning.

This brief is designed to help inform school leaders about how intentional collaboration with diverse families can be created through environments in which educators work alongside families on behalf of the students they serve. Recommendations for action are included.

The EC-BOQ Cultural Responsiveness Companion is a resource for coaches and teams implementing the Pyramid Model to improve the fit of their Pyramid systems with the needs of children and their families. Teams may use this tool either during the initial Pyramid Model implementation to build cultural responsiveness into systems from the beginning or after initial implementation to enhance equity within existing systems.

Recommendations for spending American Rescue Plan Act education funds.

In this practice brief, we describe several current examples of approaches that are aimed at improving outcomes for students entering high school. Additionally, we present strategies to disrupt the negative trajectory for students with EBD, who seldom receive coordinated, individualized supports during the critical transition from middle to high school.

In this practice brief, we explore feedback from a group of eighth and ninth grade students, families, and educators on what has been challenging, what has been missing, and what is needed during the transition from middle to high school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. We also discuss the process for gathering stakeholder feedback and some feasible next steps for schools and districts who are interested in utilizing such valuable input for improving their systems of support.

An increasing number of high schools have adopted Tier 1 PBIS; however, implementation of advanced tiers of PBIS in high schools is less common and specific guidance is scarce. To address this need and better understand the level of support needed to successfully implement advanced tiers of PBIS at the high school level, the National Center on PBIS is conducting a model demonstration with a cohort of four high schools. The intent of this brief is to share lessons learned related to strengths and challenges that have influenced the initial implementation of advanced tiers of support for schools and lessons learned for district leaders and trainers to consider when supporting high schools.

An evaluation of a state-wide support model targeting high-needs schools across the state of Massachusetts. This evaluation brief reviews the state-wide model in addition to reviewing both discipline and academic outcomes.

In this practice brief, we offer five questions for you to consider as you decide which systematic screening tool to adopt, install, and sustain. These questions are intended to support you to identify your available resources and your screening needs.

In this brief, we describe experiences of three school districts in various U.S. geographic regions as they installed screening tools as part of their screening processes. Education leaders have generously shared their advice for practitioners throughout the nation. We share five lessons learned from district leaders, including some selected quotes (see boxes). Leaders’ insights may be helpful for educators already involved in systematic screening as well as those who are newer to the process.

This document is a set of strategies and key practices to restart classrooms and schools in a manner that students, their families, and educators can use effectively, efficiently, and relevantly in the current climate.

One of the key principles of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is to focus on building prosocial skills, not simply attempting to eliminate challenging or problem behavior. We encourage all schools to continue that focus, as well as other key principles of PBIS, as you address the COVID-19 pandemic. The following are a few simple recommendations educators can embed across a continuum of supports.

One of the key principles of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is to focus on building prosocial skills, not simply attempting to eliminate challenging or problem behavior. We encourage all schools to continue that focus, as well as other key principles of PBIS, as you address the COVID-19 pandemic. The following are a few simple recommendations educators can embed across a continuum of supports.